Silver Refining Process Without Acids

In this video, learn how to refine silver jewelry sweeps by smelting and cupelling without the use of acids. The sweeps are separated into a metallic fraction for direct refining with lead by cupelling. The other silver containing material is first smelted down to a metallic button and then further refined to pure silver. At the end of the video the two buttons are combined into one single silver bar.

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[michaeldenison]

Thanks for doing this Jason. I decided to keep my pyramid, for now, vs melting it down.
What was in this . . . copper slimes from reverse electroplating silver, as well as the silver. Sweeps from a silversmithing class, including filings, snips, and balls. Also . . . a lot of solder chips that are always getting swept up. Plus some contaminated water cast silver with I believe nickle.
I removed as much of the magnetic material as possible. Which was from files, broken saw blades, and steel wool.

[J.fromMichigan]

This is a very clear video with temperatures, equipment, and process. Good stuff.

[J.fromMichigan]

I am not saying this disrespectfully. I am saying it to share info. When you slowly cool a metal or glass down, it is called annealing. My whole family is into mechanics, machining, tool making, and production.

[dilmanabdullah]

Nice one.
Ho to refine gold from ore with out using acid, can you make a video about that?
Thanks

[joshp]

Your videos are always so interesting, you pretty much never see this stuff from industrial let ALONE hearing a competent explanation of the process

[drennanhutton]

I’m just now getting into collecting silver and gold, but this right here is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen !!! I’m gonna try it one of these days

[shaneyork]

I gotta say that, that was really cool.
I've seen several vids on this before but the silver sprouts was something I've never seen!
Have a GREAT Day!!!

[mikeconnery]

Great video. Thanks for showing the temperature and a nice explination of how this smelting operation workd.

[lancemillward]

114g is about $147 of silver here in New zealand. You can see how this would scale up with a larger quality and be more profitable

[Kheops.]

7:34 that should be the thumbnail, looks so mesmerizing.

[Hartcore]

Thank you for putting out a good stream of videos. They are packed full of information that will save me from making some mistakes in my new hobby.

[dynomania]

The molten flux as it cools is a thing of beauty 👍

[JimNichols]

Amazing video and we are still using chemistry to remove the Ag from the mix, just not HNO3. I love the videos and while I presume I will never use this you have started me on my usual quest for knowledge. I found that Cupellation actually uses this chemical reaction to work Ag(s) + 2Pb(s) + O2(g) → 2PbO(absorbed) + Ag(l) and the first Cupel were made out of bone ashes while the best material was obtained from burned antlers of deer although fish spines could work as well. Amazing to me! Thank you very much!

[OneOfDisease]

i wish you would have run a tester on the product you had at the end to give us and idea ho much silver vs other metals were in the block

[livesonjura]

I like those silver sprouts. I've refined silver and poured small bars but have never seen any sprouts. But when my silver is pure I do see concentric cooling lines that show up on the exposed smooth, shiny surface of the bar as it cools after pouring. I use a torch and borax for melting. Thanks for the many informative videos.

[OwlTech]

@10:35 the large button on left still have some impurities (most probably Cu, adding more lead and re-cupelling should remove it completely ) the other button is pure you can tell by the silver sprouts

[bpark]

You use no acids, but what do you do with all the lead waste that is in the cupels & the slag?.

[matthewmccarley]

What purity of silver can you expect to get after cupelling until the cupel cannot hold anymore base metals?

[maxblay]

I'm not in the metal refining business but this is a lot of fun to watch

[morganandreason]

Silver dissolves less oxygen as you raise the temperature beyond the melting point, so if you want to avoid "sprouting" when it cools, just bump up the temperature at the very end before you terminate the process. Of course, cooling it down slowly also helps, as you did with the second button.